Sevier County Health Department Schedules Rabies Clinics

Pet owners can have their dog or cat vaccinated against the rabies virus for only $10 per pet at one of several low cost rabies clinics offered by the Sevier County Health Department. Tennessee state law requires all dogs and cats over three months of age receive an annual rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian. Rabies is a deadly virus that people and pets can contract if bitten by an infected animal. There have been four cases of rabies reported in Tennessee so far this year, found in one fox and three skunks.

Sevier County Low Cost Rabies Clinics:

6:30–7:15 p.m. Thursday, May 4, 2017

• Wearwood Elementary School, 3150 Wearwood Drive in Sevierville
• Gatlinburg Pittman High School, 150 Proffitt Road in Gatlinburg

6:30–7:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2017

• Seymour Intermediate School, 212 North Pitner Road in Seymour
• New Center Elementary, 2701 Old Newport Highway in Sevierville

6:30–7:15 p.m. Thursday, May 11, 2017

• Dupont Community Center, 1720 Dupont Road in Seymour
• Pigeon Forge Middle School, 300 Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge

6:30–7:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, 2017

• Sevier Co-Op, 321 W Main Street in Sevierville
• Northview Primary, 3293 Douglas Dam Road in Kodak

The cost of the rabies vaccine is $10 per pet. All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier. For further information, contact the Sevier County Health Department (865) 453-1032.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Health launched a website tool to help reunite lost pets with their owner using their rabies tag. A person who finds a stray pet wearing a Tennessee Department of Health Rabies Tag can now use this tool to identify the veterinarian who vaccinated the animal, who can then help with information to find the owners.

“We’ve received excellent cooperation from veterinarians across the state who understand the emotional toll of losing a beloved pet and are eager to help return missing dogs and cats to their owners,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “Those who find a pet can simply look up the TDH rabies tag number on our website to find the vet who administered the vaccination. That vet can, in turn, use the tag number to identify the owner and be part of the reunion process.”

The website at http://tn.gov/health/article/rabies-tags lists rabies tag numbers in sequential order to make it easier to find the appropriate veterinarian.

If a rabies tag was not issued by the Tennessee Department of Health, pet finders can call the telephone number on the tag to contact the agency that issued it. Some larger cities in Tennessee have their own licensing systems for rabies tags separate from the state agency.

Dreyzehner said the effort to develop the website pet finder tool was spearheaded and coordinated by his executive assistant, Tammy Stanton, a TDH employee with 32 years of state service and a life-long passion for helping animals.

“This is another reason to have your animal properly vaccinated, protecting it not only from a deadly disease but helping it come back home to you if lost,” Stanton said. “We know even the most responsible pet owners can experience a pet becoming separated from them. If the pet has a rabies tag, there is now an additional effective way for good Samaritans and animal control employees to help with a happy reunion.”